Vowed to Change
by Queen of the Scoubies
Summary: When she said no did she know that it would change everything? That old friendships would die and new would form? Did she plan to become engaged again? Plz R&R!
1. Baby Shop Blues

"Do you Ronald Bilius Weasely take Hermione Anne Granger as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Yes"

"And do you Hermione Anne Granger take Ronald Bilius Weasely as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"…No"

That one small word changed the lives of these two people in ways that they could never imagine.

One year later…

"Hermione come here and look at this!" shouted a very familiar blonde boy as he pointed at a display of baby clothes.

"Oh my god Draco! I can not believe that you just did that!" Hermione exclaimed as she followed his finger, yet gasped when she saw the item he was pointing at. "It's just so beautiful" she muttered to herself as her fiancé wrapped his arms around her waist and left his hands to rest on her slightly swollen stomach.

"Hmm, what did I do this time my love?" he whispered, his lips brushing the tip of her ear. Moving his head to look at her face he continued, "I believe I just picked out the perfect dress for our baby girl."

"You did, you did" Hermione giggled as she looked up at him, "No need to remind me!"

"Aww my love, but it is such fun" Draco replied as he started to gently tap her stomach, "Not as amusing as Weasel's face when you dumped him at the alter though."

"I didn't get any other chance! You know how he used to treat me; either telling me what to do or trying to make out with me! As much as I feel guilty he so deserved that!" Hermione grumbled back; narrowing her eyes in annoyance as she remembered her former friend and lover.

"Ahhh! You made a much better choice running off with me. Look! I already have you pregnant something Weasel would never manage!" Draco smirked as he watched Hermione giggle in his arms.

Still giggling Hermione broke away from Draco's encircling arms and took his hand; "We should get this before someone else does" and promptly dragged him inside the baby shop. Inside the walls were lined with baby products ranging from ever-clean-diapers to magic-monitors to baby clothes. Heading straight to the clothes section, Hermione all but dived on a passing by employee with distinctive red hair.

"Ginny! Oh my god. I haven't seen you since —" Hermione's enthusiasm dropped to a mumble as she looked to the floor realising when exactly the last time she had seen her friend was.

"Yeah, since you deflated my brother's head during the wedding ceremony. Loved the dress by the way." Ginny replied as she looked Hermione up and down, "OH MY GOD YOURE PREGNANT!"

Draco, now stepping between the two women bravely spoke, "Yeah, I'm the lucky father" and was very quick to not speak again.

"Malfoy? — You're having ferret-face's kid? Jesus Hermione I didn't know you were _that_ desperate!" Ginny quietly mumbled as she surveyed the couple in front of her before loudly saying, "And how may I help you today?"

"In the window display there's a pink dress," Hermione began while looking at her friend closely, "can we purchase one please?"

"Sure thing" the red-headed shop-assistant replied cheerily before heading off to the window to get the dress from the display and casually asked, "So how long have you two been together then?"

"Uhhh, since, uh, kinda the day after I left Ron. Uh Draco and I already had a closish friendship from working together and I was upset and we both were seeking comfort and yeah. We're expecting next January and getting married in two weeks. Wanna come?" Hermione blurted out as Ginny was turned away while Draco stood, his mouth gaping at her sudden invitation.

"What? Huh? S – a- marriage- Malfoy – you- eew – yes – ahh – wow." Ginny stumbled through her thoughts while wrestling the dress from the reluctant manikin. "The-you-and-the-ferret-and-a-baby. Wow, I never thought you had it in you Mione." She claimed as she emerged from the window with the dress in one hand and the struggling manikin in the other.

"Well you could say I've been a good influence on her" Draco interrupted smiling at the two women charmingly who were surveying him rather coolly, "I'll just be over here if you need me…"

Ignoring Draco, Ginny led Hermione to the counter, "So where's the wedding? I'd love to come, to think two weddings in two years. You know Ron's back with lavender? Stupid girl taking him back, he treats her worse than he ever treated you and she's still madly in love with him. I have no idea what is going through her head."

"Hmm" Hermione replied with out commitment as she took out her purse,  
"So how much was that dress?"

**hey, another new fic from the Queen of the Scoubies….please tell me what you thought of it….it was another one of my midnight brain waves as I'm half asleep…..like whoa….hehe anyways please review or something….I love reviews…they make me feel loved and the inspire me to write more….hint hint….**

**Mwah**

**Queen of the Scoubies**


	2. The Weasel Will Pay

After paying for the dress, Hermione curtly bid farewell to Ginny and all but ran out of the baby store. Hearing her name being called, she turned around mid-stride and came face-to-face with the one who had caused her so much pain.

"Hermione! Hermione!" a tall-red headed man repeated while waving a had before her face, "Earth to Hermione, is anyone in there?" he joked, smiling at her in a friendly manner.

Snapping our of the shock holding her, Hermione screamed taking wild steps backwards, her arms flailing helplessly as she desperately tried to put as much space between herself and the man so close to her. Still screaming, she tripped over the unstable pavement and fell into the familiar arms of Draco Malfoy.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Draco yelled at the man standing opposite him, looking at Hermione with an expression between shock and disgust.

"Make him go away….AWAY!" Hermione muttered, shaking and staring wide-eyed at the man in front of her. Shuddering, she dug her face into Draco's chest mumbling "Make him go away. Ron…bad" Looking down at his fiancé with a look of concern, Draco turned around, "Ron I really think you should leave. She's pregnant and I don't want her upset."

"Pregnant? PREGNANT? As in about to have a baby?" Ron blinked and looked Hermione up and down, pausing on her stomach and then the bad she was clutching to her chest, "Did you see Ginny?"

"She served us," Draco replied before pulling Hermione behind him, "and we really must be off now."

"Hope to see you around," Ron called after them as they briskly walked down the street, Draco's arm wrapped protectively around Hermione's waist.

"Hope we don't see you," Draco muttered so only Hermione could hear him and pulled Hermione into a deserted passageway, "Okay, now you're going to tell me what's going on."

Looking at her blonde-haired counter part, tears formed in Hermione's eyes, "I don't want to talk about it Draco. It hurts too much," she answered before ducking her face from his view.

Pulling her into a hug, Draco rested his head n her for a second before replying, "It could ease the pain to let someone know. Bottling things like this up is not good for you — or the baby."

"But —" Hermione started but was silenced by Draco's finger on her lips.

"I don't want to hear excuses, I want to know what upset you so much and I want to hear it now." Draco told her in a matter-of-factly, no arguments way, "Okay?"

Sighing her defeat, Hermione nodded and Draco moved his fingers allowing her to speak. "it wasn't anything in particular," she began and when Draco looked to interrupt she silenced him, "No Draco, let me finish," and took a deep breath. " okay, I suppose there was the shock of seeing him. I hadn't expected it and it just brought back the memories of those incidents."

Nodding his head, Draco just looked at her, not speaking yet telling her to continue.

"About three months into our engagement I had passed out in the kitchen and I remember when I woke up he was — he was doing things — it seemed forever until he noticed I was awake and he made it a joke — as if I had fallen asleep while we were — you know" Hermione shuddered as she told Draco, the memories seeming to consume her.

"And before that, after I had 'fallen' down the stairs, he gave me that look — that one he gave me today — it was as if he hated me, was disgusted by me but just couldn't look away. It was horrifyingly embarrassing, he just stared at me like I was some kind of freak." Hermione continued to confide in Draco who was silently shaking from anger.

"The week before our engagement, he beat me for the first time. He was so angry. I don't know what about, but he took it out on me. I was bruised for about a week after that." Closing her eyes, Hermione unsuccessfully tried to black out the memories; crying she continued. "The punches—the kicks—I hurt everywhere. There was not one place that was not sore. After he beat me, he raped me, and then blamed me! And do you know what is crazier than that? I believed him! I apologised for being beaten; I told him I wouldn't do it again." Hermione raged as sobs tore through her body.

"Baby — Mione — its okay. He can't hurt you anymore. I'll always be here to protect you. He'll never hurt you again." Draco murmured as he rocked her back and forth, held tightly in his arms.

"I thought he was right, that it was really all my fault until I met you. You know — he used to make me promise that I wouldn't be near you; that I wouldn't look at you; talk to you. He saw that you made me stronger against him, he tried to make he quit work because you were there. I said no and he beat me, but look now—we're together and he is gone. Still and asshole and will always be in our lives but ultimately gone. He means nothing, you meant everything to me and nothing can ever change that." Hermione finished and wrapped her arms more tightly around Draco, "I feel better now."

"I told you telling someone would make you feel better," Draco spoke into her hair. he was calm on the outside but furiously plotting Ron's downfall on the inside. "The Weasel will pay fro what he's done Mione — the Weasel will pay."


	3. He Will Get What He Deserves

When Hermione's hysterical sobs had ceased and her tear-stained face had dried, Draco led his fiancé to the leaky cauldron, eager to take her to the safety of their home, the Malfoy Manor. One arm was wrapped around her shoulders, sheltering her away from the view of the world; the other was clutching his wand, prepared for his next encounter with the Weasel.

As predicted, the couple was met with unrelenting stares as they walked into the pub that had always welcomed them so warmly before. The silence was deafening as they treid to discretely make their way across to the fireplace, Hermione's eyes, puffy from relentless crying, were wildly looking around as she attempted in vain to avoid the gazes that were resting on her. "Draco, we need to get out of here," she muttered so only the man beside her could hear, "We really need to get out of here."

Lengthening his stride slightly, Draco waited until Hermione matched his before making a direct beeline for the fireplace, also trying to avoid the stares of those around them. The stench of alcohol was reaching his nostrils, the quietly played radio sounded louder than a screaming banshee next to his ear, "It's okay my love, we are so out of here." With a final stride, the couple stood before the fireplace and looked eagerly at the flames licking at their feet, "You first my dear" Draco softly spoke before offering her a jar of powder.

Taking a handful of the powder, Hermione stood within the flames and smiled at Draco before releasing the powder and shouting, "Malfoy Manor" into the green flames that engulfed her.

Following suit, Draco took a handful of powder but shouted into the flames, "59 Wayward Way" and disappeared into the green flames, leaving the patrons of the bar to whisper their wonder.

* * *

Inside the fireplace, Hermione begun to spin, not an unfamiliar feeling as she had flooed so many times before, yet still made her stomach queasy to watch the other rooms fly by. Tightly closing her eyes, she grabbed her bags tighter around her and willed for this ride to end as she did so many times before when she was younger and her parents took her to theme parks. The air was rushing around her legs, and she peeked open an eye to see nothing but a blur, she was moving faster than ever before and quickly clammed her eye shut. She didn't want to know, she just wanted to be home, she wanted to be with Draco and no where else.

* * *

Draco was impatient, he was waiting to arrive, he wanted to avenge the pain of the woman he loved; he wanted to see Ronald Weasely writhing in pain at his feet. He wanted to watch him gasp his last breath and apologise for everything he had done, he wanted for Hermione's pain to be gone, he wanted the Weasel to pay. 

As he spun around and around in the fireplace, he wondered what he would do, how he would wreak his revenge. Would it be as easy as destroying his life from this time forward financially, romantically, or physically? Could he maim the Weasel from raping another woman, cripple him for life, or easier still, leave him for the authorities? Could he take what little money the red-headed fool had, force him to sign over all of his possessions and watch him live in the streets? The damned Weasel deserved it all.

* * *

She was spinning so fast, she feared she would fall over when it all ceased. The flames died around her feet and she all but fell onto the plush rug before the fireplace in the room she shared with Draco. Throwing her bags on a nearby chair, she threw herself on the bed and stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling. So many times she had lay staring at the ancient ceilings above their bed, but never before had these thoughts invaded her head.

Her wedding was scheduled to be in a few weeks, her baby to be born in a few months and she was overcome by the strangest emotions. One minute she was laughing, jumping for joy about the smallest thing, yet the next she was a crying mess confiding her deepest secrets in the less secretive place in London. She felt like a crazed woman, yet she knew her life was how it was meant to be; she was with her soul mate.

* * *

As the spinning slowed and the grates once again became clear, Draco made up his mind. Waiting patiently for the fire to stop, he stepped gingerly out of the fireplace and what seemed to be a run down old factory. The floors were uncarpeted concrete floors, with what looked to be old crates as furniture and immediately a look of disgust formed on his face. This was exactly the type of hovel he always imagined Weasely living in. 

Taking a few more steps into what could be called the living room he called out, "Weasely! You have a visitor!" and promptly stood in the middle of the room and waited, his hand on his wand and a smirk in place, the Weasel was so going to get what he deserved.

**Heya's a new chapter just for all of those that reviewed (I'm too lazy to specify who you are...but you know exactly who you are, if that makes sense...??) Please enjoy and leave a review!!!**

**Mwah**

**Queen of the Scoubies**


End file.
